Combined corset and shoulder-brace



(No Model.)

I. STROUSE.

COMBINED CORSET AND SHOULDER BRAGE.

Patented May 5 Jada N. PETERS. New, Vlnhinflon. O. C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC STR'JUSE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

COMBINED CORSET AND SHOULDER-BRACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,473, dated May 5,1885.

Application filed November 24, 1884. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, IsAAo STRoUsE, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inCorsets, and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawing constitutes part of this specification, and represents a backportion of the corset with the shoulderstraps in perspective.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of corsets whichare designed to serve also as a back-support and shoulder brace, and isan improvement upon the corset for which Letters Patent of the UnitedStates were granted to me March 20, 1883, No. 274,405.

- In the said patented corset a back is made separate from the twosides, the back consisting of two curved stayed pieces with a verticalcentral section or part between them, the two curved pieces attached tothe respective sides of the corset by eyelets and lacings, whereby theextent of the corset may be increased or diminished as occasionrequires. To adaptthis construction to a shoulder-brace is the object ofmy present invention, and to form a shoulder-brace with a back-supportit is necessary, or at least desirable, that the shoulder-strap shallextend from the back portion over the shoulder, down under the arm, andback into substantial engagement with the back portion. If thisconnection be made fixed, as by a buckle or clasp, any variation in theadjustment of the connections between the back portion and the sides, asin the working of the body, will cause the shoulder-strap to draw withmore or less power, to the inconvenience of the wearer.

To compensate for the working of the parts of the corset in themovements of the body and of the arm, I attach the shoulder-braces A Bto the respective curved stayed portions C I) on the back of the corset,E representing the central vertical portion which connects the twocurved stayed pieces D C. F represents so much of one side and G so muchof the other side of the body of the corset as is necessary for theillustration of the invention. The shoulder-straps extend from the partsD C as'if a continuation thereof, and over the shoulder. Passing backbeneath the arm, the

strap a is run through a loop, I), fixed to the curved parts C. Thencethe strap extends onto the side portion F of the corset, and is theresecured by a clasp or buckle, d. By this arran gement the strap worksfreely through the loop I) under the movements of the body and arm, and,owing to the doubling of the strap through the loop, the yielding of theshoulderstrap will be twice as great as the movement between the parts CF of the corset, thus giving a great freedom to the arm under themovements of the body or arm, yet in the normal condition of thebodyholding back the shoulders as a brace. l

The loop through which the strap runs may be applied near the center ofthe back, say as upon the central part, as illustrated at the left. Inthis case it will be well to apply a like loop at the edge of the curvedpart, or upon the edge of the side portion of the corset, asshown; butin either case the same result is attained-that is to say, the greaterfreedom of the arm due to running the strap back through the loop,thence forward, thereby doubling the strap, so that under the movementof the body and parts of the corset the draft upon the shoulder will beone-half that movement, or the movement of the shoulder to draw upon thestrap will be twice the movement imparted to the portion of the corsetwhere the loop is attached.

Vhile my invention is specially applicable to my before-mentionedpatented corset, and which I have illustrated, it may be applied toother solid-back corsets. I therefore do not wish to be understood aslimiting myinvention to the solid back of my own invention; but

hat I do claim is- In a back-supporting corset, and in which asubstantially solid or close back is employed,

said back being in adjustable connection with the side portions of thecorset, shoulder-straps extending from the upper end of said close backover the shoulders, the back portion provided with loops b, throughwhich, after passing under the arm, the straps will run, and an engagingdevice upon the adjacent side portion of the corset and forward of saidloops, with which said strap is engaged, substantially as described.

' ISAAC STROUSE.

. Witnesses J 0s. 0. EARLE, L. E. Tooonnn.

